Seishun Love!
by blazedrake
Summary: Ryoma, Tezuma and Fuji's youngest son, has just joined Seigaku as a firstyear and naturally, he's going to join the tennis club! Momo is actually in love with Kaidoh, who is fighting over An Tachibana with Atobe! OishiXKikumaru, TezukaXFuji, SakunoXRyoma
1. Chapter 1

Character list:

-The Tezuka family

Tezuka Kunimitsu X Fuji Syusuke( Fuji is a girl in this story btw). 

Tezuka Keigo(eldest son, 15 years old), Tezuka Takeshi aka Momo(second son, 14 years old), Tezuka Ryoma(youngest son, 13 years old)

Tezuka Syuichiroh (Kunimitsu's brother, 15 years old) X Kikumaru Eiji (15years old)

Tezuka Sadaharu (Kunimitsu's brother) X Renji

Fuji Yuuta (Syusuke's brother)

-The Echizen Family

Sumire Ryuuzaki (Seigaku's coach)

Echizen Nanjiroh (Ryuuzaki's son) X Rinko

Echizen Taichi (Nanjiroh's son, 13 years old), Echizen Sakuno (Nanjiroh's daughter, 13 years old, likes Ryoma)

Karupin (The family's cat)

-The Tachibana Family

Kippei Tachibana

An Tachibana (Kippei's daughter, 13 years old)

The Seigaku Tennis Club Regulars:

Kohara Shou (Captain, aka Shogun)

Tezuka Syuichiroh (Vice-captain)

Kawamura Takashi (Third year)

Kikumaru Eiji (Third year)

Kohara Ruki (Third year, Shou's brother)

Kyototsuki Dentai (Second year)

Tezuka Takeshi (Second year)

Kaidoh Kaoru (Second Year)

-----

"Gomenasai, Kajimoto-kun. I've gotta go on a date now!"

Kajimoto grabbed An's arm and stopped her from running away.

"Little girl, who's your date, eh? I don't believe there's someone out there who is more charming than me."

"Kajimoto-kun! Please stop harassing my daughter, will you?"

"OH! It's Tachibana-san! Wait… Nani?! An-chan is your daughter?! NO WAY! The both of you don't look alike at all!"

"Believe it or not, Kajimoto-kun! And there _is_ someone who is way more charming and skillful than you and he'll always be the best to me! That's my dearest Otou-san!"

An stuck out her tongue and held her father's hand lovingly before leaving Kajimoto, the playboy in the Seishun district, laughing to himself.

"What is this I'm seeing? The famous playboy Kajimoto-kun can't even win the heart of a little girl?"

Kajimoto turned around and found a familiar face. Mizuki from St. Rudolph was leaning against the wall, twirling his hair with his finger, looking at Kajimoto with the most lustful eyes. Wait… Lustful?!?!?!

Kajimoto knew that Mizuki was always searching for powerful tennis players to join St. Rudolph's tennis club but had no luck in it, like the time he mixed up Ryou with Atsushi… Although his team members were fairly good, Mizuki had always never gotten over the fact that he was unable to get the best and neglected grooming his members. Kajimoto, as the captain of Jyouseishonan himself, did not like Mizuki's attitude and behavior.

"You know, Mizuki, I will never transfer to St. Rudolph even if you beg me…"

Kajimoto thought that Mizuki would be angry or sad but instead, he just walked away laughing like a lunatic.

'I wonder if he has gone nuts from his continuous failures of recruiting the pros…'

------

"Ryoma-kun, your parents are the famous senpais who graduated from Seigaku, right? You are so lucky to have such talented parents who are so gifted in tennis! It's no wonder you chose tennis club as your curriculum activity…" Ryoma's classmate, Horio, tried to start a conversation with him.

"… …"

"I personally think that having parents who are tennis pros does not necessarily means that the child is good at tennis." Horio-kun continued.

"... ..."

"You know, I have played tennis for two years now. Would you care to spar with me? To see who is better…"

"You've still got a lot to learn…" Ryoma replied coolly and walked off to buy juice.

"What?! What did you just say? Hey! Don't you know it's rude to walk away when someone is talking to you? Ryoma!" Horio retorted.

"Heh! Ryoma is cool, isn't he?" Kato exclaimed.

"He's just a snob! His attitude sucks! Today is the trial to select juniors, isn't it? I'll make him suffer at the court today in front of the senpais!"

------

"Yo, Ryoma! I heard from Oishi that you would be entering Seigaku! I expect you will be joining our tennis club, ne? Oh! The bell's gone! See ya this afternoon!"

Ryoma just held up his hand to wave goodbye to his senpai, Kikumaru, but his hand was left in an awkward position. Eiji was as hyperactive as usual and acrobated away to class even before Ryoma could greet him.

"Ryoma-kun…"

Ryoma turned around to find his childhood friend, Sakuno, staring shyly at him.

"Nani?"

"I know that you will be entering the trial for selection of juniors for the tennis club later… Good luck! With your skills, I just know that you can do it!"

And the girl with two long ponytails ran off to class.

------

"Yo Ryoma! Are you feeling nervous? Show them your power, Otouto!"

"Roger, Takeshi nii-san…"

"Ochiibi! Give them your best shot ne! Use your right hand for the serve!!! Leave no mercy for the 2nd years!" Eiji appeared out of nowhere to give Ryoma moral support.

"Hai, Eiji-senpai…"

"Come on Royma! Show some spirit and enthusiasm, will you?!" Takeshi-senpai slapped Ryoma hard on his back, causing Ryoma to lose his balance a little.

"IF you get in the club, Onii-san will treat you to burgers after club practice!"

"HAI!"

Well, food and tennis are about the only things which enthusiast Ryoma…

------

'Hey… that's the kid brother of Hyotei's captain I heard…'

'Which one?'

'The one with the white cap…'

'He's Keigo's kid brother?!?! I wonder if he's any good…'

Everyone was gossiping about Ryoma as rumours had spread all over the high school tennis world that Hyotei's haughty captain's little brother would be joining Seishun Gakuen's tennis club (or rather, Keigo was the source of the news).

Keigo had been said to have skills equal to match the legendary pro Tezuka Kunimitsu, he was also talented for his observation skills which allowed him to spot his opponent's weak spots. He had emerged from hundreds of Hyotei's tennis club members as captain, which was really hard.

It was finally Ryoma's turn to face off with the 2nd years. Everyone had been waiting for this moment, to get a view of how good Ryoma could be, as well as how much of a threat he would be to them. Although Ryoma had said he would leave no mercy, the moment he faced his opponent, he could easily gauge their level of skill and he just could not bring himself to give his best shot.

To all the 2nd years giving the trial, Ryoma had been using his right hand but did not put any force in all his shots. He did not even use his favourite Twist Serve. Since Ryoma was a left-handed, his control of the ball would be seemingly less easy so every shot of Ryoma's was fair and there was nothing spectacular, although Ryoma did win the whole trial match.

Ryoma's unenthusiasm had led to the crowd's disappointment. Just then, Takeshi could not take it any further with Ryoma's underperformance.

"It seems that our 2nd years are still not up to your standard huh, Ryoma? Have a game with me then! I won't have you going just like that!"

'Momo-senpai is challenging the first-year!' Everyone's interest seemed to have returned. 'I wonder why he's so caught up with that junior…'

"That junior is Momo's younger brother, you dopes!"

"The third-year senpais! Even the graduated Sadaharu-senpai have come!!!"

"Eh?! That means Keigo and Momo are siblings too?!?!"

"Yes. Didn't you realise that they have the same surname 'Tezuka'"

"EH?! NANI?! Do you mean that they are the legendary Tezuka-senpai's sons?!?!"

"... ..."

"Ne, this will be a great match to catch, won't it be, Sadaharu?

"Yeah Takashi… I can collect more data…"

"Even if you aren't in the school team anymore?"

"Of course... They may be a threat to me when we have family games."

"... ..."

------

"I accept your challenge, senpai. Double your treat if I win you ne?"

"Sure, if you have the guts to! Come on! Make every shot your best shot! I'll be sure to return every single one!!!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"1 set match. Takeshi to serve!"

A rustle of excitement went through the crowd. Rumours went through the first years about Momo's prowess. Some even started praying for Ryoma, and they watched as Ryoma took a few steps back, which was much further than normal.

Momo smirked before he got into the position and served. He saw Ryoma standing way back, near the fence and he had to stop himself from grinning widely in pride, 'He's really my brother! He has already thought of a way to overcome my Dunk Serve, huh.' He watched as the ball flew to the other side of the court.

All eyes were then focused on Ryoma, to see whether he would get thrashed by Momo's ever powerful Dunk Serve or he would return it. As the ball bounced off the ground with high speed and great power, Ryoma swung his racket with his right hand with no signs of cowardice, unlike Momo's fellow second years who usually run away in fright of being hit.

"15-0"

Everyone exclaimed when Ryoma managed to return Momo's Dunk serve! Most of the first years became Ryoma's fans in an instant and cheered him on even though the ball was out.

"Sasuga Ryoma! He can return Takeshi's power serve easily with the power of his right hand." Sadaharu praised Ryoma.

"Eh?! But Sadaharu senpai, Ryoma was having problems controlling the ball in his trials. How can he hit with such power now? But he still hasn't improved his control of the ball. He is really just a snob, isn't he?" Horio, a new first year, questioned Ryoma's skill.

Inui smirked, "You really don't know the true Ryoma… After watching this match, you'll definitely change your negative opinion of him."

"Ne, Ryoma! I'm going to increase the power of my serve! Get ready!" Takeshi warned Ryoma.

This time, Ryoma backed even further away from the baseline and he held his racket with both of his hands. Many viewers were worried whether Ryoma could withstand more of Momo's power and even if he had managed to hit the ball, his control of the ball was to be worried about.

The crowd roared when Ryoma successfully returned Momo's powered up Dunk Serve. Not just that, he had even managed to hit it in court and so, the real match starts from there. As soon as Ryoma returned the serve, he got back in position and _switched his racket from his right to his left hand?!?!_

"Ryoma, finally getting serious, eh?" Takeshi shouted as he was pumped up for the match too.

"You're wrong if you've thought that was the end, 'Momo-senpai'"

Ryoma stunned the crowd with excellent control of the ball, leaving his senpais and fellow first years speechless. He had mastered the basics and honed his skills so well, he could be matched equally with a Regular.

Although Momo tried continually to make Ryoma hit High Drop by hitting very low balls to Ryoma so that he could get a chance to smash him with his renowned Dunk Smash, Ryoma gave him no opening at all and his returns were as low as Momo's. Momo became a little frustrated as he could not perform his Dunk Smash and his Dunk Serve was of no threat to Ryoma. He started losing focus and lost the first match, hence losing his priority to serve.

When it was Ryoma's turn to serve, he switched back to his right hand which puzzled many as his left hand's control was significantly better, or rather perfect. However, Takeshi knew what was coming for him.

"Twist Serve!" Someone screamed as Ryoma served.

Everyone watched Momo dodge just in time to avoid being hit by the ball. The Twist Serve was a tricky one. It seems to take on a normal route at first but it will go flying straight at the opponent's face once it bounces off the surface of the ground, so fast that it will take the opponent off guard and hit him or her, causing real physical bruises.

"0-40"

Momo had not caught one of Ryoma's Twist Serve so far...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I can't just give like this, I just can't give up like that…" Momo was not ready to lose to Ryoma yet.

"I must let you have a taste of my Dunk Smash!"

"Hah! Mada mada dane!"

Ryoma served his Twist Serve with his right hand again. This time, Momo was able to pick the timing to return the ball. As the high-speed ball shot up from the ground, Momo however did not wave his racket but jumped up instead. He changed his position a little and successfully sent a Dunk Smash crashing into Ryoma's side of the court and scored.

"Dunk!"

Everyone cheered for Momo, even the third years and the roaring of the crowd was even louder than when Ryoma returned Momo's Dunk Serve. The second years and first years practically went into a frenzied state.

"Good for you ne, Momo-senpai… Getting so much popularity in school! But as much as you want to show off your invincible Dunk Smash, don't forget that I can always find ways to counter it!" Ryoma could not forgive himself for letting Takeshi score.

The match continued with Takeshi continually hitting Dunk Smash to Ryoma, who always deftly hit it back, but using his powerful right hand.

"Hey! Ryoma's right hand actually has very good control! Why was he not performing as well during his trials?" Someone randomly pointed out and soon, all focus turned to Ryoma again.

"It's true! He's returning all of Takeshi-senpai's Dunk Smash with his right hand and all of his returns are in!" Horio exclaimed as he observed Ryoma carefully.

"Ryoma is actually ambidextrous, really. Although he's a left-hander, he can use his right hand as well although his right hand may not have perfect control, like his left. His left hand has perfect control of the ball whilst his right has power. I guess it's a pretty good balance. As for why he wasn't doing so well previously, I think he just didn't want to look too good and attract unnecessary attention to himself. That's the kind of person Ryoma is." Sadaharu-senpai explained.

"Is that so? Eh! But why do you seem to know so much about Ryoma even if he's just a first-year, senpai?" Horio found it weird for Sadaharu-senpai to know so much about someone if they had just met each other even though Sadaharu-senpai was extremely good at collecting data.

"This is my secret… You will have to pay much consequence if you really want to know…" Sadaharu smiled evilly at Horio, who got turned off and decided that he would rather stay alive than get into trouble for being nosy.

Takeshi and Ryoma's match became an enduring match, the one to lose focus will be the one who loses. It was really hard to determine who would lose since both of them were equally matched. Both guys were already drenched in perspiration, having played for nearly three hours. The crowd had evidently dispersed as not many could endure the heat as well as the two of them.

Suddenly, a second year came running towards the court shouting, "The Regulars have come back from their training!"

"Eh… I thought Momo-senpai is a Regular too? How come you weren't training with them? Don't tell me you have just been bragging to everyone about something which isn't true?" Ryoma questioned Momo's reliability.

"Shut up! If _someone_ had cleaned up the mess he made at home last week, I would not have tripped and fall down the stairs, spraining my ankle so badly that I couldn't go for training." Momo retorted back.

"Oops! I hope that someone has learnt his lesson…"

"It's obvious that you have not…"

"Fine, I understand if you aren't at training but what about Kikumaru-senpai? He's a Regular too, isn't he?"

"He went. It's just that he had a test he could not skip nor postpone this morning so he returned early."

"What are you two doing? Delaying the trials for the first years so that the two of you can have a match? 50 laps round the courts!" A familiar, commanding voice boomed out from the court's entrance.

"Chairman!" Takeshi exclaimed.

It was Shou, Seigaku Tennis Club's captain and pillar and looked upon by all members. He even had a nickname, which was derived from his name, "Shogun" which meant General. There were even rumours that he might be the next "Tezuka Kunimitsu" with his seriousness, strictness and his skills which made him an all-rounded player. He even had the aura of a real General, which intimidated his opponent but made everyone accept and respect him willingly.

"What are you waiting for, Takeshi and the first year? Do you want me to add another 20 laps?"

"NO! We're going now! Come on Ryoma!"

"Eh? We haven't finished our match…" Ryoma complained but Takeshi immediately pulled him away to start on their 50 laps around the tennis courts.

'Our match can be continued anytime… The Chairman means every word he says. Even if you want to run the extra 20laps, don't get me involved!' Takeshi whispered to Ryoma.

"Alright then. I'll take it as you gave the match up and so, you'll still treat me to burgers, right?"

Takeshi rolled his eyes. "I should have known you were just after the free burgers all this time…" Takeshi sighed.

---

"Everyone, please gather around!" Syuichiroh, the vice-chairman

All club members gathered at once in neat rows facing the Regulars: Kaidoh Kaoru, Tezuka Takeshi, Kikumaru Eiji, Tezuka Syuichiroh, Kohara Shou, Kohara Ruki, Kawamura Takashi and Kyototsuki Dentai.

"The District Tournament is coming up! That means the ranking tournament for the second and third years will start soon." Shou announced.

There were much murmurings amongst the members and the atmosphere was filled with excitement and anticipation. The murmurings subsided as soon as Shou continued.

"Syuichiroh and I will discuss the arrangements of the matches and players with Ryuuzaki-sensei before the next club practice. Today's trials went pretty well, despite a little disturbance. Shall we show the third years and second years our appreciation?"

"Arigatou senpais!" The new first years thanked the seniors.

"You are now dismissed."

All the seniors dismissed, leaving the first years to their first official task – picking up tennis balls and cleaning the courts. Ryoma was having an easy time picking up the tennis balls as he did not have to bend down or squat to collect them one by one like others. He used his racket to pick every one up idly and shot them all into the basket in the middle of the court.

"Ryoma! Are you done yet? Let's go have some burgers before we head home for dinner! Don't eat too much though or else okaasan is going to scold us again for not being able to finish our dinner…"

"Roger that, _Momo-senpai_!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Say, Take-nii, since when were you known as _Momo-senpai_?" Ryoma sniggered at his brother's nickname.

"Hey, it's a nice nickname, alright! You know how okaasan likes to put a peach in my lunchbox everytime and over time, everyone just starts to call me "Momo" because of the peaches…"

"Is that so? But okaasan put it in because you love them, don't you, _Momo-nii_?"

"Don't you dare tell okaasan, otousan and Keigo-nii sama!"

"Eh? I thought you just said that it's a nice nickname and that you liked it, so why are you hiding it from them?"

"You cheeky brat… just shut up or I'll finish all your burgers!"

Ryoma immediately moved his burgers away from Takeshi and started taking big bites of his burgers.

---

At the Tezuka household...

"Keigo, how did the juniors' trial go?" Fuji asked her eldest son during dinner.

"The trial was real good, Okaasan. We have countless juniors coming for trial as usual and most of them had experience. This year, we have a first year who has the potential of becoming a regular. I guess this is all because of my attractiveness!"

"Keigo, there are many opponents out there. Just look at the regulars in Seigaku now, I believe that they will unleash much more power than before. Do not let your guard down!" Tezuka warned Keigo.

"We're home!" Takeshi and Ryoma shouted as they passed through the main gate.

"Why are you so late today? We were about to start dinner without the both of you…" Fuji told her two younger sons.

"Ano… we… had a long trial (Kohara-senpai gave a long talk)…" Ryoma and Takeshi replied, and with different answers.

"Come clean with it, boys." Fuji said in a stern tone and the ever smiling Fuji had opened her eyes, which meant trouble.

"We're SORRY! We went out to have burgers after training…" Takeshi and Ryoma immediately told the truth.

"Well, you know what will happen if you can't finish your dinner…" Fuji grinned widely at them, which was somewhat sinister-looking…

Takeshi and Ryoma looked across the dining table and saw food which could fill almost ten people's stomach fully. They gaped at the amount of food they had to finish and looked blankly at each other, then at their eldest brother, who merely smirked at them.

"We're sorry for intruding!" Syuichiroh, Sadaharu, Kikumaru and Kaidoh's voices could be heard through the hallway.

"OUR SAVIOURS!" Takeshi and Ryoma exclaimed when they saw their fellow club mates making their appearance at the dining area.

"Why are you guys here? You didn't tell us that you would be coming, or we could have come home together… And Where's Shou-buchou, Ruki-senpai, Taka-san and Dentai?" Takeshi questioned his uncle, Syuichiroh.

"You and Ryoma ran off straight after club. How was I able to tell you? Your parents invited us for dinner but the others could not make it as they had other plans. Come on, can we start eating? We are hungry and beat!" Syuichiroh replied Takeshi.

After dinner, everyone was having fresh fruits, cut and served by Syusuke and they were all chatting intriguingly about that day's trials in Hyotei Gakuen and Seishun Gakuen. Takeshi excused himself and pulled Kaidoh, who was leaning against the wall in one corner listening to the conversation, to his room.

"What do you want?" Kaidoh asked Takeshi with his usual cold voice, staring intently at his rival. Well, not really as enemies since they both fight for Seigaku's glory, but Kaidoh had been competing with Takeshi in tennis since primary school and they still did not really have any clear distinction of who was better.

"Kaoru… Do you always have to be so cold towards me?"

"… …"

"Didn't I already expressed how I feel about you? Wasn't my confess clear enough?"

"Ff-ssshhhhhhhhhh! What kind of reaction do you expect me to have after getting confessed to out of a sudden, by a guy no less?! And haven't I made it clear that… that I like An-chan?" Kaidoh cursed himself in his head for hesitating, even if it were just for a second.

"Do you really like her? It is because I thought that you had some feelings for me that I plucked up the courage to confess to you, Kaoru! And if you like An-chan, what actions have you taken to compete with Kei-nii?" Takeshi gripped Kaidoh's arms and looked at Kaidoh with a desperate and pleading look, which he had not shown anyone else before.

"Let go of me! I've had enough of this ridiculous talk! I don't even know why the hell I got pulled into your room in the first place!" Kaidoh shook Takeshi's hands away and stomped out of the room.

"Tezuka-san, Syusuke-san, I should be going home now. Thank you for inviting me over!" Kaidoh hurriedly left the Tezuka household to escape Takehsi as fast as possible.

Who knew that Takeshi would actually dash out of his house to chase Kaidoh and this led Kaidoh to break into a run. Takeshi knew that Kaidoh was a fast runner and it would be quite difficult to chase him, but he was not about to give up then. He increased his speed significantly and finally managed to overtake Kaidoh after some time. As soon as he overtook Kaidoh, Takeshi grabbed Kaidoh's arm to prevent him from running away.

"Please... don't... run away... from me... I just... want... to walk you home..." Takeshi pleaded Kaidoh.

Upon seeing Takeshi panting so heavily and looking exhausted, Kaidoh agreed since Takeshi could not try anything weird on him and allowed Takeshi to walk him home although he was quite pissed by Takeshi, who was treating him like a weak girl.

---

Back at the Tezuka Household

Takeshi had just returned home and he was drenched in perspiration from chasing Kaidoh previously. He was smiling to himself as Kaidoh would usually not reject his offer and would run all the way home. 'Kaidoh is probably slowly falling for me!" Takeshi thought to himself. He noticed that his uncles, Sadaharu and Syuichiroh, and Kikumaru-senpai had already gone home, judging from the peacefulness in the house and he guessed that his father must have driven them home since the family car was gone.

"Takeshi, how's your chasing going? Have you melted Kaidoh's heart or is he still insisting that he wants to fight with me over An?" Keigo, who was watching the news in the living room, asked his second brother randomly just before Takeshi went upstairs.

"Well, he is still insisting that he wants to fight with you over An-chan _but_ I believe that he _has_ feelings for me. It's just that he is not used to the idea of two guys in a relationship!" Takeshi replied his elder brother.

"You seem to have a rather positive attitude about your relationship with Kaidoh-kun. Why's that so?"

"INTUITION! I'm going to bathe, Kei-nii. I'm stinking like hell!"

---

"Hah! The bathe is refreshing! Ryoma, what are you doing?"

"Take-nii, so this guy is the one you have loved and chased since last year?" Ryoma asked Takeshi, pointing to Kaidoh in Takeshi's photo collection of the Seigaku Tennis Club.

"HEY! Don't touch my things without my permission!" Takeshi snatched his photo album from Ryoma, cleaning the spot where Ryoma touched (basically, it's Kaidoh's face).

"Why the hell are you so uptight about it? So? He's the one?" Ryoma continued to probe into Takeshi's love life.

"Yeah so what? Who the hell told you that?"

"Almost everyone knows... Even Otousan and Okaasan has a rough idea about the both of you. We are not blind, you know. The moment Kaidoh-senpai ran out, flustered, from your room and you running out of the house without even informing us... Your actions are just too obvious, _Momo-senpai_."

Takeshi could not retort or scold Ryoma. He felt embarrassed as he thought that he had been acting very normal to his family, of course, except Keigo-nii who had instincts and observations sharper than anyone. Nobody could hide anything from Keigo. He buried his head in his pillow and pretended to fall asleep though in fact he was just trying not to appear blushing too severely in front of Ryoma...


	5. Chapter 5

-At Seishun Gakuen's canteen-

Takeshi searched around the canteen but there was no sign of the person he was looking for. Takeshi had gone to _his_ classroom to find _him_ but he was told that _he_ had gone somewhere else to eat his bento. Takeshi was not about to give up as he was determined to find Kaidoh to have lunch together.

Takeshi bumped into Ryoma near the tennis court. "Take-nii, what are you doing carrying your bento and running around? Do you know that you look silly like that?"

"Urusai na! Tell me, have you seen Kaidoh around?"

"Eh… Now I see the picture…" Ryoma teased his second brother. "No I haven't seen him here but I _think_ that I remember seeing an orange bandana under the huge sakura tree on my way…"

"Ok! Thanks man, I owe you one!" Takeshi jumped up and took off immediately.

Takeshi approached the sakura tree at the school's backyard silently.

'Sure I can see Kaidoh from here… but how do I get to him without scaring him away…' Takeshi thought.

Since no answer came into his mind, he decided to act like he was there by coincidence.

"Hey Kaidoh! Wow what a coincidence too see you here! Can I join you for lunch then?"

Kaidoh seemed unpleased to be found by Takeshi and though reluctant, he nodded to Takeshi's request. After Takeshi had suddenly confessed to him last year, he had been appearing in front of Kaidoh during all break times. No matter how Kaidoh tried to hide from him, he had always managed to find him. Sometimes Kaidoh wondered if Takeshi was stalking him…

"Oh gosh! What a cliché excuse… Takeshi is lousy at chasing!" Kikumaru whispered.

Practically all the Seigaku Regulars plus Ryoma were spying on Takeshi and Kaidoh behind the nearest school building. Kikumaru had chanced upon the anxious Takeshi talking to Ryoma a few minutes ago and got wind of what Takeshi was doing and immediately spread the news to his fellow Regulars. The only ones who were not present were Captain Shou and his brother, Ruki. They had always been unmoved by such gossips, which they deemed as _meaningless_.

Takeshi kept trying to give the ingredients in his bento to Kaidoh, who refused his offers profusely. But Takeshi continued pestering Kaidoh to the extent that Kaidoh's tolerance had reached the "red alert" level and ranted at him.

"Takeshi, can you just _please_ stop trying to push all your food to me? I don't want ANY additions to my bento and I hope that I can finish my lunch _in peace _PLEASE!!! I am already trying my best to accommodate you coming to find me during lunch breaks all the time! Can you please stop acting so abnormally???"

Takeshi was shocked at Kaidoh's sudden outburst and agreed not to pester him. Being rejected by Kaidoh repeatedly made Takeshi gloomy and sad as he felt that all his efforts were futile. He felt so miserable that he was on the verge of crying and he kept his head down the whole time in order not to let Kaidoh feel weird or angry anymore.

"Awww… Poor Takeshi… Kaidoh's ranting must have hurt him a lot…" Kikumaru said in a low voice looked as if he felt sorry for Takeshi.

"Well, Kaidoh is straight and he has a hot temperament. Takeshi must be ready to go against all odds if his target is Kaidoh…" Oishi gave his piece of thought.

"Hey guys! Let's cheer for Takeshi! At least if he knows that he has our moral support, he will feel better and be stronger!" Kikumaru suggested.

"Kikumaru-senpai, don't you mean you just want to have fun seeing how they'll work out in the end?" Ryoma voiced out Eiji's real intentions which got him a heavy hit on his head.

"TAKESHI! GAMBATTE!" The Seigaku Regulars shouted and escaped from their hiding place.

Takeshi heard his friends' cheer and got hyped up. Kaidoh, on the other hand, was red with embarrassment and kept trying to find out exactly who were watching them but to no avail.

-At Club Practice-

Ryoma was approaching the tennis court to attend club practice and found a whole bunch of people surrounding the ranking board and the fellow first-years were discussing within themselves excitedly.

Just as Ryoma had finished changing and exited the changing room, he noticed a girl with a mole below her right eye and two ponytails from his class running towards him and wondered if she had any messages to pass to him.

"Ryoma-sama, CONGRATULATIONS! I knew that you have it in you!" Sakuno's friend exclaimed.

"Nani?" Ryoma had no clue about what this over-jovial girl, whom he only recognized as a classmate and was already addressing his as 'sama', was talking about.

"Ryoma-sama, you're going to compete in the ranking competition with the senpais!!! Sakuno and I will cheer you on!" the hyperactive girl broke the good news to him.

Ryoma did not express any of his feelings but just lowered his cap and smirked. As he headed towards the tennis court, he passed by Sakuno who was trying to improve her form. Sakuno realized Roma's presence and stopped her practice.

"Ano… Ryoma-kun, Con… Congratulations for being in the Ranking Tournament! The senpais are tough, so… be careful…" Sakuno congratulated Ryoma in a rather shy tone.

"You bend your knees too much…" Ryoma suddenly spoke while using his racket to poke Sakuno's knee.

"Huh?"

"Don't flick your wrist like that, you open your shoulders too wide and your hair is too long. You should cut it…" Ryoma advised Sakuno as he walked away.

"Wh… What does my hair got to do with my form?!" Sakuno blushed and retorted Ryoma's comments but she was actually delighted that Ryoma had talked to her.

"A-block has Shou-senpai and Syuichiroh-senpai. B-block has Ruki-senpai and Kawamura-senpai. C-block has Ruki-senpai and Takeshi-senpai. D-block has Kaidoh-senpai, Dentai-senpai and Ryoma. This ranking tournament is going to be exciting!" Horio told Kato and Katsuo.

"Heh… Ryoma-kun is in the ranking tournament! How cool is that!" said Kato, who was already starting to see Ryoma as his "idol".

"Ryoma won't stand a chance to win against the Regulars! You saw their smash practice the other day, didn't you? No matter what kind of balls were hit towards them, they could hit the balls back into the basket easily." Horio said with much confidence.

"But when Syuichiroh-senpai hit one of the balls too hard and it flew to Ryoma's court, Ryoma hit it back into the basket easily as well!" Katsuo argued.

"Hey, that's Ryoma heading towards us! RYOMA!" Kato detected Ryoma and called out loud to him.

"Ryoma-kun, be sure to beat the senpais and earn glory for the first years!" Kato cheered him on.

"Ff-ssssshhhhh!" A hiss came out from behind a stretch of bush in front of where the first-years were standing and it scared them, except Ryoma.

They turned and noticed a familiar orange bandana behind the bush and just as they thought, Kaidoh, the owner of the orange bandana rose from behind the bush and glared at them.

"Aren't you first-years supposed to be warming up?"

Horio, Kato and Katsuo got intimidated by Kaidoh and ran off after apologizing. Ryoma stared at Kaidoh for a while before walking away while saying that he was scary in a rather calm tone.

The ranking tournament had started. There were many girls, most of them were in their third year, crowding at the court where Shou was having his match. Although Shou was well-known to be a strict and serious captain, he was very famous with the girls for his gentleness and courteousness. More importantly, he was a beauty himself and an intelligent one too. Shou's beautiful features, especially his big and bright eyes, and his slender figure had mesmerized many girls and over the years, they had built a huge Shou fan club amongst themselves.

On the other court, there were many first-years cheering for Ryoma with Tomoko (the hyperactive girl from Ryoma's class) being the loudest. So far, Ryoma had won his matches easily and the same goes for the Regulars.

The first half of the ranking tournament for the day had finished and everyone was given a short break. Ruki had offered to take over Syuichiroh's duty of recording the scores. When Syuichiroh asked how he fared, Ruki casually replied that he had won easily as usual and went on to discuss about Ryoma's performance.

"That first-year's got skill… I see that he has a perfect score so far."

"Yeah, he sure is good. Don't underestimate him or you'll get it." Syuichiroh warned him.

"I see that you are backing up your own nephew to intimidate me huh. It's a pity I'm not going to be matched against him so soon because I'll definitely crush that egoism of his. He's got a perfect score for now but he's going to have trouble with his next opponent, isn't he?" Ruki smirked.

"Ff-sssshhhhhh!"

"Ah, I see that the ochiibi's next opponent is already geared up and is in his battle mode, huh." Ruki gave his remark as he turned and saw Kaidoh, who was slouching and swaying his body and hands slightly.

It was finally the time for Kaidoh and Ryoma's match.

"One set match. Tezuka Ryoma VS Kaidoh Kaoru! Tezuka Ryoma to serve!"


	6. Chapter 6

Kaidoh had gotten serious at the beginning of the match and used his technique against Ryoma. The ball bounced off in the opposite direction from Ryoma, leaving him stunned.

"What is that abnormal spin?" Horio was astounded by Kaidoh's Snake.

"It's Kaidoh's Snake." Takeshi told Horio.

"Snake? It's the name of Kaidoh-senpai's technique?"

"Yes. Starting from his right leg, he shifts his weight to his left side and hits the ball with an abnormal spin. His appearance is like a snake and he even stands like a snake… That Viper…" Takeshi explained.

"Momo-senpai, how do you know such details about Kaidoh-senpai?" Horio teased Takeshi.

"U…urusai na! It's only natural that I know my rival inside out…"

Kaidoh used his Snake in his subsequent attacks but Ryoma did not get intimidated by Kaidoh's Snake and instead, had managed to return his attack.

"Ryoma has managed to return Kaidoh-senpai's Snake!" the first-years became very excited.

"What does Kaidoh-senpai intends to do now that his Snake does not have effect no Ryoma?" Horio expressed his concerns.

"Kaidoh's real intention of using Snake is not just simply letting the ball bounce off in the opposite direction his opponent reacts in…"

"Eh?! What do you mean, Momo-senpai?"

"Ryoma has fallen into Kaidoh's trap…" Dentai said.

"Hey, why does it seem that Ryoma is perspiring a lot when the match has not proceeded for long?" Tomoko was worried when she realized that Ryoma looked exhausted.

"His real intention of Snake is actually to make his opponent run about and lose his energy." Takeshi explained the real use of Snake.

---

Ryoma had realized Kaidoh's trap and in counter, set the same trap for Kaidoh.

"Kaidoh-senpai, you seem to be sweating a lot." Ryoma told Kaidoh in the midst of the game.

"The one who sets the trap has fallen into the trap himself…" Ruki mocked Kaidoh.

"Ryoma keeps hitting deep and low balls and Kaidoh always has to bend down in order to return them. It takes up 2-3 times of his usual energy every time he returns that kind of ball." Ruki continued.

'The one who fell into a trap is… me? It's true that I am getting more exhausted… How can I, Kaidoh Kaoru, lose to a first-year?! I must not lose my concentration then!' Kaidoh thought to himself and got back his fighting spirit.

"So the match has turned into an endurance one afterall…" Shou remarked.

Just as Kaidoh had become determined to win the match, Ryoma surprised him by hitting Snake towards him. Anyone who had practiced his technique for so long only to be returned the very same attack by someone who had just seen it for the first time would be shocked naturally. The same went for Kaidoh and not just him but the entire crowd were bewildered as well.

"How is Ryoma-kun able to use the Snake when it's his first time seeing it?"

"It looks like the Snake but it's not exactly the same…"

"Kaidoh-senpai, gomen ne… I happened to see an article on the Buggy Whip Shot in a magazine earlier and your Snake is actually a derivation from it right?"

"Buggy Whip Shot?" Many were puzzled about this technique.

"Using a centrifugal force, you put a high spin on the ball by starting a loop from bottom to top. Kaidoh's Snake is an example of it." Ruki cleared everyone's doubt.

"Game won by Tezuka Ryoma. 3 games all." The umpire announced.

Kaidoh had been drained of his energy by the time he realized Ryoma's trap and lost his subsequent games.

"Match point for Tezuka Ryoma!"

Kaidoh was still not about to give up even when Ryoma just had to score once more. He hit Ryoma's ball with all his might and even fell but unfortunately, the ball did not go over the net. Ryoma won.

"Game and match won by Tezuka Ryoma. 6 games to 3."

Having lost the match to a first-year, Kaidoh started hitting his right knee with his racket repeatedly until he bled.

"He's hitting his own knee with the racket?" the first-years were shocked at Kaidoh's action.

"He's the same as always…" Syuichiroh commented.

"Handshake…" Ryoma held out his hand but Kaidoh ignored him and just walked out of the court.

"It's too bad, Kaidoh." Dentai tried to console Kaidoh.

"I'll never give up my spot. NEVER!" Kaidoh shouted in a fit of anger and stormed off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kaidoh was running out of the school gate as fast as his legs could take him as if he had encountered a ghost. After running a certain distance from the school, he made sure that nobody was following him before he finally stopped to catch his breath.

Kaidoh jumped when someone tapped him on his shoulders but he heaved a sigh of relief when he realized who he was.

"Kaidoh, have you seen a ghost? What were you running away from to become this exhausted?"

"Kikumaru-senpai, I'm glad it's you… Erm… I'm just doing my usual routine…" Kaidoh replied.

"Nah! You're definitely lying! Or do you mean that being chased by Momo has become a daily routine for you?" Kikumaru teased Kaidoh, who turned red at the mention of Momo.

"No! I… I'm _really_ just doing my usual routine of running around the town… I… I should be going now. See you in club practice tomorrow, senpai…" Kaidoh denied and quickly excused himself to be alone.

When Kaidoh had reached home, he headed straight for his room and locked himself in. He thought that he would be able to forget about everything that had happened that day after a short nap but whenever he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, Takeshi would intrude his thoughts instead.

-An hour ago-

"It's too bad, Kaidoh." Dentai tried to console Kaidoh.

"I'll never give up my spot. NEVER!" Kaidoh shouted in a fit of anger and stormed off.

Kaidoh was pissed at himself for falling into Ryoma's trap and losing so quickly to a first-year. Something in his heart stirred as he was worried about losing his spot as a Regular. He had competed with Dentai thrice and all three matches were won by Dentai. It was not exaggerating to say that Dentai had seen through his strength and weakness.

Since Kaidoh did not have any more matches that day, he thought he could leave early to do more training in order to build up his stamina and power. However, he had not realized that another fellow Regular was secretly following him into the changing room…

Just as Kaidoh had finished changing into his uniform and closed his locker door, he turned and was surprised to find Takeshi just in front of him, looking extremely worried. He attempted to leave the room as he felt that Takeshi was being weird, like the first time Takeshi had confessed to him, but Takeshi blocked the entrance immediately, as if sensing what Kaidoh was thinking at that time. Seeing that Kaidoh had turned anxious and afraid caused Takeshi's feelings of worry for Kaidoh to feeling hurt and depressed.

"Takeshi! Get out of my way now!" Kaidoh warned Takeshi but he stayed still.

In a flash, Kaidoh found himself pinned down on the floor and Takeshi was grasping his wrists tightly to prevent him from fighting back. Kaidoh knew he was in trouble as Takeshi looked serious and he knew that he was already drained completely from his match with Ryoma.

Takeshi smashed his lips against Kaidoh's and snatched Kaidoh's lips immediately. He wanted to taste Kaidoh and attempted to sweep his tongue into Kaidoh's mouth but Kaidoh bit hard on Takeshi's tongue, causing it to bleed. Takeshi winced but he was not going to give up so easily as he finally had Kaidoh under his control.

He used his right hand to grasp both Kaidoh's wrists and moved his unoccupied hand to grope Kaidoh, who yelped and Takeshi took this chance to gain dominance of Kaidoh's lips. Kaidoh could feel Takeshi's tongue wrapping around his and he could taste a slight taste of blood. He felt guilty for inflicting pain on Takeshi, so he did not try to reject Takeshi this time. Instead, he lost himself and let Takeshi control him, as he knew that he had absolutely no chance to overpower him in his current state.

Kaidoh then felt a tickling sensation in his ear as Takeshi licked his ear lobes and this was all it took for Kaidoh to let out a soft moan. Takeshi moved his left hand up, sliding into Kaidoh's shirt, caressing Kaidoh's sensitive body. He could feel Kaidoh's every muscle tense up as his hand moved past.

Just as Takeshi started to unbutton Kaidoh's shirt, voices could be heard from outside the door. The clearest and loudest had been Kikumaru, who was still hyperactive after his ranking matches with two second-years in his block.

The sound of the doorknob being turned could be heard and it startled Takeshi. Having failed to open the changing room's door, Kikumaru complained to Oishi and asked if he had the keys but was disappointed when Oishi shook his head.

It was probably Kikumaru's loud voice that brought Kaidoh back to his senses. Takeshi had loosened his grip on him and was paying less attention to Kaidoh. Kaidoh saw his opportunity and knocked Takeshi's forehead with his own and pushed him away roughly. Kaidoh then grabbed his belongings, unlocked the door and ran out of the school as fast as his legs could take him.

-Back to the present-

Kaidoh opened his eyes and felt relieved that he was safe in his own bedroom. He cursed himself for being so weak and stared at the white ceiling. Suddenly, a sad and depressed Takeshi appeared in front of Kaidoh's eyes and he knew he had to do something to drive Takeshi's images out of his mind, but he did not know how.

For no reason, Kaidoh's legs were somehow manipulated by an invisible force and dragged Kaidoh back to school and to the changing room. Reluctantly, he opened the door of the changing room and went in, standing at the spot where Takeshi had pinned him. He tried to sort out his emotions. He wished he could say that he hated Takeshi but the thought of hating Momo caused an unknown rising pain in Kaidoh's heart.

Out of nowhere, a sniffled sob could be heard in the room and Kaidoh stepped back, startled. Although he might look fierce, he was actually weak at heart when it comes to the supernatural. He took a few seconds to realize where the cry was coming from – the innermost corner of the room. He plucked up his courage and cautiously approached the source and found a familiar shaking silhouette, made obvious by the moonlight pouring through the window.

Kaidoh felt bad as he knew why this person was so agitated and miserable as he was the one who broke his heart.

"Takeshi… …" Kaidoh called out in a gentle and soft tone.

"Kaidoh! I'm sorry…" This was all Takeshi managed to say as he sobbed even harder that his subsequent apologies became muffled.

Kaidoh felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He did not mean to hurt this man before him, who always looked so cheerful, optimistic and strong yet, he was so delicate inside.

'How can I have never noticed this side of him…' Kaidoh thought to himself. 'And I'm so sinful to have brought this man his sufferings…'

"Why must you like me when there are so many other people out there who are more suitable for you, Takeshi?"

Takeshi merely shook his head and replied that he just knew that Kaidoh was the only one for him.

Takeshi's face was lifted up by Kaidoh tenderly, who proceeded to wipe the streaks of tears with his thumb gently. Takeshi was astonished by Kaidoh's actions and couldn't make sense of what was going on. Why was the man who had rejected him thoroughly treating him so sweetly and gently now?

Kaidoh brought Takeshi's head to lean against his chest and he slowly stroked his head, running his fingers through his hair as he did so. As much as Takeshi could not figure out what Kaidoh was thinking, Kaidoh had no idea what had gotten into him to make him behave like that.

Takeshi thought it was safe and wrapped his arms around Kaidoh's waist. Kaidoh had stiffened a little but he did not push Takeshi away this time. As Kaidoh gradually adjusted himself in this new awkwardness, Takeshi sat on Kaidoh's lap and let Kaidoh hold him and soothe his emotions like a child.

'Kaidoh's such a darling! I could never dream that he can be this sweet to me… This is my lucky day!' Takeshi grinned to himself, careful not to reveal his happiness to Kaidoh in case Kaidoh decided to ignore him and leave him behind.

"Kaidoh…"

"What?"

"Can I lie in your arms until the next morning?"

"NO!" Kaidoh was almost shouting and he immediately tried to push Takeshi away so that he could get up and leave.

"I'm sorry to make such a ridiculous request! Please don't leave me now, will you?" Takeshi begged Kaidoh and looked at him with puppy eyes. He knew that Kaidoh would always give in to him when he looked like that.

"(sigh) Fine., but just a while longer. I need to go home soon…"

"I'll let you go… But only after you promise that you'll be my boyfriend! Kaidoh, I really can't live without you!" Takeshi cried.

"Stop being all mushy! You're a guy! It's disgusting… And there's NO WAY I'll accept you… Not when I like An- "

"Since tennis has let the two of you meet each other, why not use tennis to decide whether Kaidoh-kun will be Momo's boyfriend? I'll be the chair umpire!"

Kaidoh and Takeshi turned to see who had cut into their conversation. It's Tachibana An! Kaidoh was quite appalled and speechless that the girl he had been pursuing was all ready to let Takeshi have him.

"An… An-chan, what brought you here? It's so late already, Tachibana-san will be worried for you-" Kaidoh's sentence was cut by An again.

"Don't worry, Otou-san knows where I am and that I am doing a good deed for Takeshi-san and Kaidoh-kun! Besides, I'm not alone… Kikumaru-chan and Syuichiroh-san are with me, so Otou-san is not worried at all!"

"B… But… An-chan-"

"Kaidoh-kun, haven't you realized your true feelings? I know that you like Momo-chan and your liking me is just a sense of obligation. Anyway, I've decided to accept Atobe-san!" An-chan had expressed Kaidoh's true feelings towards her but Kaidoh was not about to admit that he liked Takeshi!

He looked at An, who was smiling widely and innocently at him, and he thought, What a girl…

Takeshi saw his chance of being with Kaidoh and quickly pulled Kaidoh to the court.

"Yo! Good luck, Momo!" Eiji and Syuichiroh greeted the couple as they approached the court.

"Kaidoh! I'll crush you and make you mine tonight!" Takeshi exclaimed with great excitement, laughing wildly as though he had won the match already.

"Which?" Takeshi asked Kaidoh.

"Smooth."

Takeshi spinned the racket and let it fall onto the ground.

"Too bad, ne! It's rough! Looks like I'm going to be extra lucky tonight!"

Kaidoh gritted his teeth and started to pray that what Takeshi had said wouldn't come true…

"1 set match. Tezuka Takeshi to serve!" An announced the start of the match and Momo immediately served his dunk serve.

"Oh! I guess Momo is seriously excited…" Syuichiroh commented.

"Yeah! His dunk serve has become faster!" Eiji observed.

"Too bad Sadaharu isn't here to compute Momo's new data… I think we'll get to see a new stage of these two's progress tonight, don't you think so Eiji?"

"I totally agree!" Eiji replied and jumped on Syuichiroh, who played around with him until…

"Don't take me like I'm an item to be possessed just because you claim to like it! And certainly don't think that luck's on your side, Takeshi! I will not lose to the likes of you! You hear me? I will NOT lose!" Kaidoh suddenly got pissed off and ranted at Takeshi.

"Nani yo?! Why did Kaidoh become so angry out of the sudden? He's so scary…" Eiji pouted and continued to cling onto Syuichiroh.

"Eiji! Look at the scoreboard!" Syuichiroh forced Kikumaru to let go of him and notice what was going on.

"EH! MAJIDE?! Momo has already won three games in just 10 minutes?!" Eiji couldn't believe what he was seeing and gaped at the scoreboard.

The both of them turned to look at the power player, who was looking all smug and exhilarated at his winning streak so far.


	8. Chapter 8

Eh thanks to those who have been reading all the chapters and even adding this story to your alerts. Please review! I'm a review whore so if there isn't any reviews, I'll get very sad haha! And reviews will greatly encourage me to continue writing! Thank you!

**Chapter 8**

Takeshi repeatedly used Dunk Smash at Kaidoh, who had trouble returning the powerful ball.

"Game won by Tezuka Takeshi. 4-1." An announced.

Kaidoh's Snake had absolutely no effect on the super hyperactive Momo, who showed no signs of wearing out. Kaidoh, on the other hand, was already drained out, especially when he had not recovered from that afternoon's defeat.

Takeshi won another match instantly just with his Dunk serves. Kaidoh was tired to the point that he even had difficulty _dragging_ his feet to catch up with the ball. Even if he had caught up with it, he did not have the strength to return such a heavy ball, given his conditions.

Kaidoh's surroundings suddenly started to revolve in circles around him and he finally gave in to exhaustion and fell to the ground.

"You win… …" Kaidoh said while gritting his teeth.

"Dunk!" Momo posed for awhile before running to the other court to tend to his beloved Kaidoh.

When Takeshi had gotten to Kaidoh, Kaidoh had already fallen into a deep sleep. Takeshi gave An, Eiji and Syuichiroh the thumbs up and mouthed 'Thank you' to them before carrying Kaidoh home.

It was all a plot. Takeshi was not crying. An, Eiji and Syuichiroh did not appear at the school compound by chance to suggest and witness the match.

---

An hour ago, Takeshi was hiding near Kaidoh's house. Upon noticing that his target had gone out, he immediately contacted An-chan and pleaded her to discourage Kaidoh, as well as to declare the match between Kaidoh and himself.

Then he asked his uncle (Syuichiroh) to meet up with An-chan so that Tachibana-san would give permission to her staying out so late. And since Eiji and Syuichiroh come as a pair, inseparable, Eiji followed his darling to see the outcome.

When Takeshi saw Kaidoh walking into the school, he took a shortcut to the tennis club's changing room and hid in one corner.

Of course, they were all going to keep Kaidoh from this little plot or else all of Momo's efforts would have gone down the drain.

---

Kaidoh was surprisingly light for Takeshi to piggyback.

"Despite his muscular build, he's so thin and light… I wonder why I didn't notice it before…"

Takeshi turned to find Kaidoh's sleeping face so close to his.

"Awww… He's so adorable when he's asleep!" Takeshi squealed and gave Kaidoh a little peck on his cheek.

Then he continued to head for Kaidoh's house, almost hopping despite bearing Kaidoh's weight.

---

The next day at club practice, Takeshi was in an extremely high mood and many juniors and sophomores could be seen congratulating him. Kaidoh dreaded to know why Takeshi was receiving all those unknown acknowledgements from everyone. He felt even worse when some of the club members whom Kaidoh was not close to, smiled widely at him when they crossed paths.

"Concentrate! Kaidoh! You must concentrate on your upcoming games!" Kaidoh repeatedly thought to himself.

It was the last day of the ranking tournament and he could not afford to lose focus if he wanted to keep his position as a Seigaku Regular. Furthermore, his first opponent would be Dentai whom he had never won against before.

Kaidoh finally got himself into battle mode and cleared his mind of useless and stupid thoughts.

The match between Kaidoh and Dentai had begun and Kaidoh had already gone on the offensive side. He was more aggressive, powerful and faster than before. His Snakes were hit at much deeper angles, which made it harder for Dentai to return.

Dentai was quite shocked at Kaidoh's sudden improvement. Then he thought of what might have egged his opponent on to change…

"Ah, Kaidoh! I heard about you and Momo! Congrats for giving up your first time!"

Kaidoh swung his racket too hard and it hit his face. In a corner, Momo had choked on his drink and spitted everything out which caused a small commotion and everyone looked at Momo in disgust.

Kaidoh turned and glared very hard at Momo, who noticed it and shook his head profusely. Somehow, Kaidoh felt that he could trust Takeshi and immediately reverted back to battle mode.

'Hmm. So it seems that my diversion tactic had failed on Kaidoh. Compared to the past Kaidoh who took every small comment too seriously and lost his focus easily, he has really matured. At least I won't feel sore if I lose to the present Kaidoh.' Dentai thought.

Kaidoh had used Snake again. Dentai had managed to catch up with Kaidoh's Snake but he could barely return such a heavy ball, being already drained of his energy chasing all the Snakes.

"6-2. Game and set won by Kaidoh Kaoru." The umpire announced.

The game had ended and Dentai had fallen onto the ground. As he was desperately catching his breath, a shadow over. His opponent, the Viper, was standing before him, not perspiring a bit.

"You're great." Dentai gave Kaidoh the thumbs up to admit defeat.

"Ffssssshhhh!" Kaidoh hissed as he walked away from his playing field, satisfied with his victory.


End file.
